Canada Builds Border Camp for Asylum Seekers Fleeing US

September 27, 2020 KANKENNEWS

Canada’s military has troops assembling heated tents that will be capable of temporarily housing up to 500 asylum seekers who continue crossing into the country where it borders New York State.

“Around 250 asylum seekers are arriving each day in Montreal, the largest city in Canada’s mainly French-speaking province of Quebec,” Reuters reported on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency told CBC-Radio Canada there are currently 700 people waiting to be processed, and although the wait time is two or three days, the asylum seekers do not have access to beds.

To accommodate the new arrivals, “nearly 100 soldiers will be in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, across the border from Champlain, New York, on Wednesday to set up the tents and add to temporary facilities already organized by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canadian Border Services Agency,” Reuters reported. Once the camp is set up, soldiers will not remain on the site.

During the first six months of the year, RCMP apprehended 3,350 asylum seekers entering Quebec at remote locations along the border, in apparent attempts to avoid a main tenet of 2004’s Safe Third Country Agreement that requires asylum seekers to “request refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in.” Montreal’s Mayor Denis Coderre tweeted last week that during July, as many as 2,500 asylum seekers fled the United States for Quebec.

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Under pressure to provide shelter for so many people, CBC reported that Montreal’s “old Royal Victoria Hospital, which closed in 2015, will also be opened up to new arrivals” and capable of hosting at 320 asylum seekers.

Just last week Montreal decided to open its Olympic stadium as a temporary welcome center to house those seeking refugee status—of which about 70 percent are Haitians who worry they will be deported if they stay in the U.S., due to changes in their protected status under the Trump administration. As Common Dreams reported when the stadium was converted:

Since the Trump administration’s announcement, many asylum seekers have tried to get refugee status in Quebec. However, as BBC reported, “no such protection exists in Canada, where the assessment is done case-by-case. Haiti sent two government officials to meet the Quebec government on Tuesday, to discuss the situation.”

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Trump Energy Dept's Pro-Coal, Pro-Nuclear Report 'Not Worth Paper It's Written On'

September 27, 2020 KANKENNEWS

President Donald Trump’s Department of Energy (DOE), headed by climate-denier Rick Perry, released a report on Wednesday that green groups and environmentalists are denouncing as an attempt to “justify bailing out dirty” coal and nuclear plants.

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“There’s no reason in the world to keep coal plants open.”
—David Roberts, Vox

Perry commissioned the study in April, and just three months later a draft of the findings, which contradicted Perry’s claim that wind and solar energy are harming the U.S. energy grid, was leaked. At the time, many expressed concern that Trump administration officials would suppress or alter any results that contradicted their adamantly pro-coal, pro-nuclear stance.

The release of the official report shows that the DOE chose not to fully suppress unwelcome findings. Rather, as Vox‘s David Roberts notes, “Perry and his staff took a perfectly solid report on the grid and added a (surprisingly light, to my eye) coating of political propaganda.”

The final outcome is a report “just muddy enough for the coal lobby and the energy storage lobby to see what they want in it,” Roberts writes. “But the bones of the analysis remain the same and still indicate the same conclusion: There’s no reason in the world to keep coal plants open and only one reason to keep nuclear plants open—climate change, which the report never mentions.”

Mary Anne Hitt, director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, argued that “Perry took a well-crafted, insightful draft report from nonpartisan Department of Energy professionals and tried to make it into a talking points memo for coal and nuclear subsidies.”

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has moved swiftly to dismantle the regulatory achievements of his predecessor, and reports have indicated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking policy direction straight from polluters’ “wish list.”

Though the DOE report will not have immediate policy consequences, it is an indication that the Trump administration is still refusing to “face the facts—thanks to growth in renewable energy and efficiency, America’s demand for electricity is flatlining, and clean energy options like solar and wind power are outperforming dirty energy like coal,” said Oil Change International’s U.S. policy director Janet Redman in response to the report’s official release.

Because of Perry’s willingness to evade the findings of his department’s researchers, the study ultimately shows “that science is not safe from manipulation under this administration,” concluded Kim Smaczniak, an attorney for Earthjustice.

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“This report is not worth the paper it’s printed on,” Smaczniak said.

Other green groups largely agreed with this assessment.

“Perry took a well-crafted, insightful draft report from nonpartisan Department of Energy professionals and tried to make it into a talking points memo for coal and nuclear subsidies.”
—Mary Anne Hitt, Sierra Club

Sierra Club noted in a statement that the earlier leaked draft report “found that wind and solar energy strongly contributed to the affordability, reliability, and resilience of the grid; lowered prices for customers; and would continue to grow rapidly into the future.”

As author and environmentalist Bill McKibben observed in his recent feature piece for In These Times, support for a move toward 100 percent renewable energy is growing.

On Wednesday, Stanford University professor Mark Jacobson and 26 collaborators demonstrated that such a move would be both practical and extremely effective by creating “clean energy roadmaps not just for the 50 United States, but for 139 individual countries.”

While—judging by their analysis—DOE researchers are aware of the benefits of renewable energy sources, Perry and the Trump administration appear to be content to ignore them, given that their recommendations diverge so sharply from the researchers’ findings.

“Some of the report’s recommendations echo the unsubstantiated claim that coal and nuclear plants are needed for grid reliability, and recommend that rules be changed to compensate them regardless of their competitiveness against cleaner, cheaper, and more flexible energy sources like wind and solar,” Sierra Club noted. “But the facts throughout the report don’t support those conclusions.”

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As Scotland Vows 100% Transition to Electric Cars, US Caves to Auto Industry's Dirty Demands

September 27, 2020 KANKENNEWS

As Scotland becomes the most recent nation to pledge a phaseout of new petrol and diesel vehicles, the Trump administration was sued on Thursday for indefinitely suspending increased penalties for auto manufacturers that develop new cars and trucks that don’t meet fuel-economy standards.

“Suspending meaningful fines for companies that don’t comply is like legalizing pollution-control defeat devices.”
Click Here: All Blacks Rugby Jersey—Vera Pardee, Center for Biological Diversity

The Center for Biological Diversity, joined by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club, filed a lawsuit in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday to challenge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recent decision to suspend a 2016 rule that adjusted fines to account for inflation.

Since 1975, Congress has maintained fuel-economy standards for new vehicles in an effort to decrease reliance on oil. In 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency added greenhouse gas emissions standards. Even so, transportation accounts for nearly 30 percent of the U.S.’s total emissions, more than almost any other industry, according to EPA data.

In 2015, the Center urged the transportation agency to increase fines, because some manufacturers opted to pay the fees and continue producing non-compliant vehicles. The new rule was introduced in 2016, and nearly tripled penalties from $5.50 to $14 for each 0.1 mile per gallon that new vehicles fall below the standards, but in July, the Trump administration suspended the rule, after being lobbied by the auto industry.

“Suspending meaningful fines for companies that don’t comply is like legalizing pollution-control defeat devices,” said Vera Pardee, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The Trump administration’s giveaway to the auto industry is an unlawful move that hurts efforts to fight global warming and shield children and the elderly from harmful tailpipe pollution.”

“Transitioning away from powering our cars and trucks with dirty, dangerous fossil fuels is crucial for our climate, our health and the nation’s economic competitiveness,” Pardee said. “Car companies churning out gas-guzzlers shouldn’t get to pay their way out of following rules that cut fuel consumption and protect our climate.”

Meanwhile in Scotland, the government has pledged to transition to new electric vehicles by 2032, eight years ahead of the 2040 deadline set by the British and French governments.

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When First Minister Nicola Sturgeon unveiled the plan Tuesday, she emphasized a desire to build electric charging stations across Scotland, including along the country’s longest highway, by 2022, to encourage drivers to invest in electric vehicles even earlier.

“Over the next few months we will set out detailed plans to massively expand the number of electric charging points in rural, urban , and domestic settings,” she said. “We will make the A9, already a major infrastructure project, Scotland’s first fully electric-enabled highway.”

By increasing access to charging stations and implementing restrictions on production, the Scottish government is hoping “for almost all cars and vans on our roads to be zero emission by 2050,” Jesse Norman, the parliamentary under-secretary at the Department for Transport, said in a statement. “We believe this would necessitate all new cars and van being zero emission vehicles by 2040.”

In the announcement Tuesday, Sturgeon expressed hope that the move would not only win over Scots, but also motivate other countries to adopt similar goals.

“This is an exciting challenge, and one I hope all members and the whole country will get behind,” she said. “It sends a message to the world—we look to the future with excitement, we welcome innovation, and we want to lead it.”

The news was welcomed by Friends of the Earth Scotland director Richard Dixon, who called the plan “the greenest program for government in the history of the Scottish Parliament.”

“The Scottish government has put improving and protecting the environment at the heart of their legislative and policy program,” Dixon told The Press and Journal. “Promises here will reduce climate change emissions, save people from air pollution, and help Scotland become a leading example of a low carbon country.”

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Iranian President: 'Entire World Will Condemn America' if Trump Kills Nuclear Deal

September 27, 2020 KANKENNEWS

Amid reports that President Donald Trump is planning to decertify the Iran nuclear accord sometime this coming week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned Saturday that any attempt to undermine the deal will earn the United States condemnation from “the entire world.”

“If one seeks war, Trump’s decision makes sense. If he doesn’t want war, then killing the deal makes no sense.”
—Trita Parsi, National Iranian American Council

“We have achieved benefits that are irreversible. Nobody can roll them back, neither Trump, nor 10 other Trumps,” Rouhani said in an address to students at Tehran University. “If the United States violates [the nuclear deal], the entire world will condemn America, not Iran.”

Right-wing hawks within and outside of the Trump administration have for months urged the president to scrap the accord, which he repeatedly slammed on the campaign trail.

Critics have argued that withdrawing from the deal would represent an embrace of “war over peace.”

“If one seeks war, Trump’s decision makes sense,” argued Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council. “Failure will lead to war. If he doesn’t want war, then killing the deal makes no sense.”

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On Sunday, tensions between Iran and the U.S. appeared to escalate further ahead of Trump’s expected policy speech on Iran later this week.

Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, ripped Trump’s “stupid behavior” regarding the nuclear accord and issued a stark warning against any new sanctions.

“As we’ve announced in the past, if America’s new law for sanctions is passed, this country will have to move their regional bases outside the 2,000 km range of Iran’s missiles,” Jafari said.

Jafari also denounced reports that Trump is planning to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a “terrorist group.”

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Initial jobless claims dip to 860,000

September 26, 2020 KANKENNEWS

Initial jobless claims dipped to a seasonally adjusted 860,000 in the week ending Sept. 12, a decrease of 33,000 from the previous week, a sign of gradual but steady improvement for the economy.

Unadjusted claims fell significantly, dropping 8.8 percent to 790,021.

The Labor Department’s weekly report showed that claims the previous week had increased rather than remaining flat, as initially reported.

The report also showed that the total number of people receiving any kind of benefit continued to increase through the end of August, reaching 29.8 million.

While the numbers continued moving in a positive direction, they remain extraordinarily high by historical standards. The weekly initial claims were four times higher than at the same point last year and about 25 percent higher than their pre-pandemic record.

They have now remained at unprecedented levels for 26 weeks, half a year.

Andrew Stettner, senior fellow at left-leaning Century Foundation, said the slow decline is a worrisome sign.

“After falling more steeply in the summer, the number of workers filing unemployment claims has remained stubbornly high over the last five weeks,” he said.

The pain has not been distributed evenly among differing sectors.

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“Some of the key pain points for the economy remain as before including small business, airlines, bars and restaurants and retailers,” said Mark Hamrick, a senior economist at Bankrate.com

“At the same time, interest rate-sensitive sectors including housing fare relatively well. Builder sentiment just notched a record high as just one positive sign for the housing market,” he added.

The economy, though still in a dire state, has improved faster than many forecasters predicted early on in the coronavirus crisis. Unemployment, which was expected to remain in double digits into 2021, fell to 8.4 percent in August.

But the persistence of the coronavirus is expected to continue dragging on the economy until a vaccine is widely available, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says will likely not happen until mid-2021.

Updated at 9:05 a.m.

House Democrats to include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package

September 26, 2020 KANKENNEWS

House Democrats’ emergency coronavirus relief package, which has not yet been unveiled, will include additional funding for airlines, according to Rep. Peter DeFazioPeter Anthony DeFazioHouse Democrats to include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package Anxious Democrats amp up pressure for vote on COVID-19 aid Airline CEOs, union leaders implore Congress and the administration to avoid Oct. 1 furloughs MORE (D-Ore.).

“We’re putting airlines in,” DeFazio, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told The Hill.

A source familiar confirmed that additional funding for the airline industry would be included in the package but did not specify the amount.

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiDemocratic senator to party: ‘A little message discipline wouldn’t kill us’ Overnight Health Care: New wave of COVID-19 cases builds in US | Florida to lift all coronavirus restrictions on restaurants, bars | Trump stirs questions with 0 drug coupon plan Overnight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon’s use of COVID-19 funds MORE (D-Calif.) had tasked committee heads with drafting a package this week, and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard NealRichard Edmund NealOn The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump’s 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package House Democrats to include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package The Hill’s Morning Report – Sponsored by Facebook – Republicans lawmakers rebuke Trump on election MORE (D-Mass.), who is leading the charge, said the package could receive a vote by Oct. 2.

Under the terms of the CARES Act relief funding that passed this spring, airlines are prohibited from firing or laying off any employees until Oct. 1. Once that deadline passes, workers in the industry are expected to take a hit, barring new assistance from the government.

“We have been told that airline worker relief is in the package and are grateful for the strong, bipartisan support. We are hopeful that this is the start of a negotiation that will help our industry and others in distress,” Nicholas Calio, head of the industry group Airlines for America, told The Hill in statement.

On Oct. 1, American Airlines expects to ax 19,000 jobs, and United Airlines said it plans to cut 16,370. Delta Air Lines will delay the effective date for a potential 220 pilot furloughs to Nov. 1 and will not furlough any flight attendants and front-line workers in 2020 due to the many employees who opted for early retirement.

The airline industry is seeking a $25 billion injection to postpone any job cuts at least until April.

“The jobs and livelihoods of tens of thousands of U.S. airline employees are at stake, and time is running out. We commend the congressional leadership and the Administration for recognizing the urgency of the situation,” Calio said.

The CARES Act, signed into law in late March, provided $25 billion in direct grants to passenger airlines, as well as $25 billion in loans and loan guarantees.

The House Democratic proposal released in May did not provide any additional funding to airlines but included a provision that would have prevented airlines from furloughs if they were still using CARES Act money. The Senate GOP proposal, released in July, did not provide additional funding for airlines either but included $10 billion for airports.

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, United CEO Scott Kirby and JetBlue Airways CEO Robin Hayes were on Capitol Hill this week with union leaders to plead for Congress to made a deal on aid to the industry before Oct 1.

Calio said on Thursday that the group has been meeting with leadership in Washington “regularly.”

Airline CEOs and union leaders were also in Washington last week to met with White House officials and speak by phone with Pelosi.

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Lawmakers introduce legislation to boost cybersecurity of local governments, small businesses

September 26, 2020 KANKENNEWS

A group of bipartisan House and Senate lawmakers on Friday introduced legislation to increase resources to help local governments, small businesses and nonprofit groups to defend themselves against cyberattacks.

The Improving Cybersecurity of Small Organizations Act would require the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to develop and issue guidance on cybersecurity policies for small businesses, nonprofits and local governments.

Both CISA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) would be required to promote the guidance, and the SBA would additionally be required to issue a report on the state of small business cybersecurity every two years.

The bill is sponsored in the House by Reps. Anna EshooAnna Georges EshooHillicon Valley: Productivity, fatigue, cybersecurity emerge as top concerns amid pandemic | Facebook critics launch alternative oversight board | Google to temporarily bar election ads after polls close Lawmakers introduce legislation to boost cybersecurity of local governments, small businesses Democratic chairman says White House blocked FDA commissioner from testifying MORE (D-Calif.) and John KatkoJohn Michael KatkoHillicon Valley: Productivity, fatigue, cybersecurity emerge as top concerns amid pandemic | Facebook critics launch alternative oversight board | Google to temporarily bar election ads after polls close Lawmakers introduce legislation to boost cybersecurity of local governments, small businesses Underwood takes over as chair of House cybersecurity panel MORE (R-N.Y.), the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee’s cybersecurity subcommittee. Sens. Jacky RosenJacklyn (Jacky) Sheryl RosenHillicon Valley: Productivity, fatigue, cybersecurity emerge as top concerns amid pandemic | Facebook critics launch alternative oversight board | Google to temporarily bar election ads after polls close Lawmakers introduce legislation to boost cybersecurity of local governments, small businesses Senators introduce bipartisan bill to help women, minorities get STEM jobs MORE (D-Nev.) and John CornynJohn CornynHillicon Valley: Productivity, fatigue, cybersecurity emerge as top concerns amid pandemic | Facebook critics launch alternative oversight board | Google to temporarily bar election ads after polls close Lawmakers introduce legislation to boost cybersecurity of local governments, small businesses On The Trail: Making sense of this week’s polling tsunami MORE (R-Texas) introduced the legislation in the Senate.

Eshoo said in a statement Friday that the legislation was necessary, as “small businesses, small nonprofits and small local governments can’t afford to hire cybersecurity professionals, yet they are still vulnerable to debilitating cyberattacks.”

“Today, small businesses, local governments, and regional non-profits are facing growing risks when it comes to cybersecurity,” Katko said in a separate statement. “Unfortunately, the guidance that is available is overly complicated or geared toward organizations with greater resources. That’s why I’m glad to join Rep. Eshoo in introducing the Improving Cybersecurity of Small Organizations Act.”

Both Rosen and Cornyn separately praised the bill as addressing cybersecurity challenges faced by small businesses and local governments.

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“Small organizations are increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and many of them lack the resources to manage complex cyber risks,” Rosen said Friday. “This bipartisan and bicameral legislation will help protect our nation’s small businesses, nonprofits, and local governments from the growing threat of cyber-attacks and keep our economy and nation safe.”

Cornyn said, “Small businesses and local governments face cybersecurity threats just as larger corporations do, and protecting against these risks doesn’t have to break the bank.”

The bill was introduced amid mounting cybersecurity challenges to groups nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people move online for a variety of activities, and hackers increasingly target vulnerable systems.

Schools have become a major target in recent weeks, with cyberattacks aimed at school districts in Miami and Fairfax County, Va., temporarily disrupting online classes.

Ransomware attacks — in which an attacker encrypts a system and demands a ransom — have been an increasing issue of concern for state and local governments in particular.

In 2019, the city governments of New Orleans and Baltimore were temporarily crippled by ransomware attacks, while almost two dozen towns in Texas were hit by a coordinated attack, slowing down city operations.

State and local officials have begged Congress for more resources to address the ongoing targeting. Bipartisan lawmakers in the House and Senate have introduced various measures in response, including a bill last month that would provide $28 billion in federal aid to state and local governments to shore up older IT systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Democrats push to limit transfer of military-grade gear to police

September 26, 2020 KANKENNEWS

Dozens of congressional Democrats are urging committee chairs to limit the types of military-grade equipment sent to local police departments amid ongoing protests over racial injustice.

More than 40 Democrats signed onto a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees calling on them to include the restrictions in the final version of the annual defense policy bill.

“As House and Senate conferees negotiate the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), we encourage you to ensure that the conference report includes provisions requiring reform of the Sec. 1033 Program by imposing additional conditions and limitations on the transfer of Department of Defense property for law enforcement activities,” the lawmakers wrote.

The letter, a draft of which was obtained by The Hill ahead of its release, was sent to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim InhofeJames (Jim) Mountain InhofeChamber of Commerce endorses McSally for reelection Overnight Defense: Top admiral says ‘no condition’ where US should conduct nuclear test ‘at this time’ | Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings Top admiral: ‘No condition’ where US should conduct nuclear test ‘at this time’ MORE (R-Okla.), House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam SmithDavid (Adam) Adam Smith40 groups call on House panel to investigate Pentagon’s use of coronavirus funds When ‘Buy American’ and common sense collide Overnight Defense: Marine Corps brushes off criticism of Marines’ appearance in GOP convention video | US troops injured in collision with Russian vehicle in Syria | Dems ask for probe of Vindman retaliation allegations MORE (D-Wash.), top Senate Armed Services Democrat Sen. Jack ReedJohn (Jack) Francis ReedWhen ‘Buy American’ and common sense collide Hillicon Valley: Russia ‘amplifying’ concerns around mail-in voting to undermine election | Facebook and Twitter take steps to limit Trump remarks on voting | Facebook to block political ads ahead of election Top Democrats press Trump to sanction Russian individuals over 2020 election interference efforts MORE (R.I.) and top House Armed Services Republican Rep. Mac ThornberryWilliam (Mac) McClellan ThornberryTrump payroll-tax deferral for federal workers sparks backlash Overnight Defense: Woodward book causes new firestorm | Book says Trump lashed out at generals, told Woodward about secret weapons system | US withdrawing thousands of troops from Iraq Top Armed Services Republican ‘dismayed’ at Trump comments on military leaders MORE (Texas).

The letter was organized by House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Anthony BrownAnthony Gregory BrownPelosi seeks to put pressure on GOP in COVID-19 relief battle Democrats demand Esper explicitly ban Confederate flag and allow Pride, Native Nations flags Trump tweets key GOP lawmaker has committed to not changing Confederate base names MORE (D-Md.), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen BassKaren Ruth BassOutrage erupts over Breonna Taylor grand jury ruling Patients are dying unnecessarily from organ donation policy failures Hispanic caucus report takes stock of accomplishments with eye toward 2021 MORE (D-Calif.) and co-signed by 41 other House Democrats. Several outside groups, including the progressive group Demand Progress, also backed the letter.

“While Demand Progress supports ending the Pentagon’s 1033 Program, Rep. Brown’s letter is an important step to limiting the transfer of military equipment to law enforcement while restoring accountability and transparency,” Yasmine Taeb, senior policy counsel, said in a statement to The Hill. “Demilitarizing the police is a crucial step towards the broader goals of ending institutional racism and stopping police brutality. Weapons of war have absolutely no place in our communities or anywhere else.”

Renewed attention has come to what’s known as the 1033 program amid nationwide protests against racial injustice and police violence. The program allows the Pentagon to transfer excess military equipment to U.S. police departments.

Former President Obama curtailed the program in 2015 after local police suppressed protests in Ferguson, Mo., using military-grade equipment. But the Trump administration rescinded the restrictions in 2017.

In July, the Senate rejected an amendment to the NDAA that would have placed broad restrictions on the 1033 program.

But the chamber did approve a more narrow NDAA amendment from Inhofe that would limit the transfer of bayonets, grenades, weaponized tracked combat vehicles and weaponized drones. The amendment would also require law enforcement to be trained in de-escalation and citizens’ constitutional rights.

A separate section of the Senate NDAA would require the Pentagon to give preference to “disaster-related emergency preparedness” in deciding whether to transfer equipment in addition to the current preferences for counterdrug, counterterrorism or border security activities.

The House did not include 1033 reforms in its version of the NDAA. But the chamber did approve broad 1033 restrictions as part of a separate, sweeping police reform bill it passed in June.

The House and Senate have yet to formally convene a conference committee to reconcile the two versions of the NDAA, but staffers on the House and Senate Armed Services committees have been conducting informal negotiations since the chambers passed their bills in July.

In their letter to the committees, the House Democrats called the restrictions in the Inhofe amendment “common sense reforms will ensure American cities and streets are not transformed into war zones.”

“Furthermore, the provision ensures that any law enforcement agency receiving defense property conducts training on ‘respect for the rights of citizens under the Constitution of the United States and de-escalation of force,’” they wrote. “Incorporating the training required by Sec. 1054 will bolster the understanding of law enforcement officers on the Constitutional rights of all Americans and ensure peaceful protests are not met with unnecessary force.”

The lawmakers also asked for further changes to the 1033 program to be included in the final NDAA, including guaranteeing that local authorities have “accountability, jurisdiction and oversight” of any transfers; requiring more notifications to Congress about the program; requiring annual accounting for the excess property that’s given to law enforcement; and creating avenues for redress if the equipment is used to violate civil liberties.

The Democrats also said they oppose the section of the Senate NDAA that would expand what activities are given preference to get equipment, arguing the “provision encourages the continued militarization of government activities that should instead be conducted under the principles of community policing.”

“The military is among the most respected institutions in American society, and rightly so,” they wrote. “Congress should both leverage and enhance the military’s reputation by making sure it bolsters democracy at home in a manner consistent with our values.”

FDA issues warning over TikTok 'Benadryl challenge'

September 26, 2020 KANKENNEWS

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday issued a warning about the serious problems associated with overdosing on the allergy medication Benadryl in response to a so-called Benadryl challenge circulating on TikTok.

The FDA cited reports of teenagers ending up in emergency rooms or dying after participating in the rumored challenge.

“We are investigating these reports and conducting a review to determine if additional cases have been reported,” the agency said in a statement.

The FDA said it had contacted TikTok and “strongly urged” it to remove videos of the “Benadryl challenge” from the highly popular video platform and to monitor for any new posts.

“Health care professionals should be aware that the ‘Benadryl Challenge’ is occurring among teens and alert their caregivers about it,” the agency said.

A TikTok spokesperson told The Hill that although they have not seen the challenge trend on the platform, they “actively remove content that violates our guidelines and block related hashtags to further discourage participation.”

The challenge, which first cropped up in May, violates the app’s community guidelines against content that encourages, promotes, or glorifies dangerous challenges that might lead to injury.

“We encourage everyone to exercise caution in their behavior whether online or off,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

An analysis done by NBC News discovered little evidence of the challenge being widespread. The platform appears to have disabled both the “Benadryl” and “BenadrylChallenge” hashtags in order to prevent copycats.

There have been a few local news reports about teens partaking in the challenge, including the reported death of a 15-year-old in Oklahoma.

Cook Children’s Health Care System in Fort Worth, Texas, said earlier this month that it treated three teenagers back in May who overdosed on Benadryl. A 14-year-old had reportedly taken 14 Benadryl pills.

“Each of these patients said they got the idea from videos on TikTok that claimed users could get high and hallucinate if they took a dozen or more of the allergy pills,” Cook Children’s said in a statement.

Benadryl is an antihistamine used to temporarily relieve symptoms due to hay fever, upper respiratory allergies, or the common cold, such as runny nose and sneezing. The FDA said it is safe and effective when used as recommended.

“Diphenhydramine is marketed under the brand-name Benadryl, store brands, and generics. It is also available in combination with pain relievers, fever reducers, and decongestants,” the agency said.

Higher doses can lead to serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death.

The FDA encouraged parents to store diphenhydramine and all other over-the-counter and prescription medicines away from children’s reach and sight. Anything that could be accidentally ingested by children or misused by teenagers should be locked up, according to the agency.

Updated at 8:15 a.m.

Federal judge orders census counting nationwide to continue through October

September 26, 2020 KANKENNEWS

A federal judge on Thursday night ruled that national counting for the 2020 census must continue through Oct. 31.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, an Obama appointee, issued a preliminary injunction preventing the administration from winding down the census count by Sept. 30, a month before the scheduled completion date of Oct. 31.

The ruling also bars officials from delivering completed census population data to the White House on Dec. 31 rather than the originally planned April 2021 delivery date.

The Trump administration will likely appeal the judgment, which is one of several legal battles they are facing regarding the census.

Koh found that the administration’s shortened census schedule will likely produce inaccurate numbers in historically undercounted groups, such as people of color and immigrants. That would run counter to the constitutional purpose of the count, which is to redistribute the seats in the House of Representatives among the states based on their latest populations.

“Those facts show not only that the Bureau could not meet the statutory deadline, but also that the Bureau had received pressure from the Commerce Department to cease seeking an extension of the deadline,” Koh wrote in the order, citing internal emails and other documents the administration produced to the court.

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said the injunction was a major win for a more accurate census count.

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“The court saw through the Trump administration’s efforts to camouflage its political interference in what is supposed to be the neutral, nonpartisan process of counting every person,” Feuer said in a statement. “Now, with little time to lose and so much at stake, I urge everyone to take the few moments necessary to be included in the census.”

Koh has previously ordered the Census Bureau to temporarily halt plans to wind down counting operations. A separate court ruled last week that the Trump administration could not refuse to count undocumented citizens as part of the census.

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Monthly Archives: September 2020

Canada Builds Border Camp for Asylum Seekers Fleeing US

Trump Energy Dept's Pro-Coal, Pro-Nuclear Report 'Not Worth Paper It's Written On'

As Scotland Vows 100% Transition to Electric Cars, US Caves to Auto Industry's Dirty Demands

Iranian President: 'Entire World Will Condemn America' if Trump Kills Nuclear Deal

Initial jobless claims dip to 860,000

House Democrats to include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package

Lawmakers introduce legislation to boost cybersecurity of local governments, small businesses

Democrats push to limit transfer of military-grade gear to police

FDA issues warning over TikTok 'Benadryl challenge'

Federal judge orders census counting nationwide to continue through October